Credit limits vs. rate limits: Credit limits track how many records you can consume based on your plan (a billing concept). Rate limits restrict how quickly you can make requests to protect system stability (a technical concept). This page covers credit limits. See API Rate Limits for rate limiting details.
Free Trial
The API free trial provides 250 requests with no time limit or credit card required. During the trial, each API call counts as 1 request regardless of how many records it returns—so a search returning 100 permits still uses just 1 request. If you need more requests during your trial, contact sales@shovels.ai for an extension.Paid Plan Credit Limits
Paid plans include custom credit allocations based on your usage needs. Contact sales@shovels.ai for plan details and pricing.For details on plan limits and pricing, create an account to see current options or contact sales@shovels.ai.
If You Hit Your Credit Limit
When you exceed your credit limit, the API returns a 402 Payment Required response. Contact sales@shovels.ai to increase your credit allocation. For full details on API usage policies, see the API Introduction.Understanding Your Credits
Records Per Call
Search endpoints return up to 100 records per page (default: 50) by setting thesize parameter. Detail endpoints accept up to 50 IDs per call. Each record returned counts against your credits—so a call returning 100 permits uses 100 credits.
Efficient Querying
- Use search endpoints to get multiple records at once
- Search responses include full detail payloads—no separate detail call needed
- Use filters to get exactly the data you need
Tracking Your Usage
Monitor your API usage in the Profile Settings section of your account or via theGET /v2/usage endpoint. Credits operate on a 30-day rolling window—your usage resets based on when credits were consumed, not on a fixed calendar date.
Need Higher Credit Limits?
Contact our team to discuss higher-tier plans:- Email: sales@shovels.ai
- Phone: 1-800-511-7457